Good vs. Evil In Fantasy

Joni Sensel raised an interesting question last month over at The Spectacle. Is it true that all great fantasy is about good vs. evil?

I immediately thought of my body count post from a few days back. Two of those three series that culminated in a book with extended battles were, I believe, heavily into good vs. evil. I think the most sophisticated of the three, in my humble opinion, was the one written for the youngest age group, The Underland Chronicles. In those books there is no obvious evil doer. Author Suzanne Collins has been very clear in interviews and public appearances that she was (and is) interested in war. That is entirely different from good vs. evil.

Good vs. evil is compelling, but it can also be simplistic.